


Mitsuki's Family

by MochiCloud



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Fluff, Gen, snake family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:35:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MochiCloud/pseuds/MochiCloud
Summary: If Mitsuki did not go to Konoha and grew up in Orochimaru's hideout
Relationships: Hoozuki Suigetsu & Mitsuki, Juugo & Mitsuki (Naruto), Karin & Mitsuki (Naruto), Mitsuki & Orochimaru (Naruto), Mitsuki & Rogu | Log (Naruto), Mitsuki & Uchiha Sarada, Mitsuki & Uchiha Sarada & Uzumaki Boruto, Mitsuki & Uzumaki Boruto
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	1. C01

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Mitsuki, my precious son 🥺 He needs some family love too. I can't wait for the Snake Family New Year's picture 😭

When Mitsuki was finally let out of the gigantic tube for the first time, the shinobis in the hideout were bubbling with excitement. 

Even though this was the infinite time Orochimaru had produced a 'Mitsuki', this was the perfect one. 

"...uh...uhm...?" The 5 year old opened his hazy sleepy eyes just to see 4 pairs of eyes staring back at him. 

"......" Everyone were holding their breaths as Mitsuki run his eyes over their faces one by one. The closest one to him had golden eyes, staring at him with great interest. Mitsuki felt a huge amount of emotion pouring from those eyes as a light smile was directed at him. 

"He looks kind of dumb. Is he really the perfect one?" Mitsuki turned his head to the other side as his golden orbs collided with sharp purple ones. They were looking lazily at him and with a hint of doubt. Mitsuki blinked at the man's sharp pointed teeth, and he wonders if his teeth were sharp too. 

*bonk* 

In a blink of Mitsuki's eyes, a fist went right through the head of the purple eyed man. It turned into water though, splashing everywhere and a drop of water dropped on Mitsuki's cheek. 

"You idiot! Don't say that in front of him!" Mitsuki reached out for the drop of water with his short hand as he turned his attention to the shouting woman. She had red striking hair and ruby eyes. She also was the one who punched the man. Mitsuki blinked at her fearlessly before he felt a finger wiping away the drop of water on his cheek. 

"Karin, don't punch Suigetsu in front of Mitsuki. He's going to get wet." A soft and gentle voice made Mitsuki curious. The voice's owner had short cropped orange spiky hair and orangey-red eyes. He was tall and looked bulky. 

"But, Jugo! He deserved it, and Mitsuki needs to learn to stay away from this idiot!" Karin, the red head calmed down a little at the sound of Mitsuki's name, but was still thrashing Suigetsu. 

"You crazy woman! It's no wonder Sasuke doesn't like you!" Suigetsu retorted back, earning a menacing glare from Karin. 

"Log, you better bring Mitsuki elsewhere." Jugo turned to the adult by his side. 

"Hah... Right." Mitsuki watched as Log reached down and bundled him into his arms before leaving the room. Faintly, Mitsuki could hear noisy water splashes from the room he was once in. 

"L...Log...?" Mitsuki looked up at the man with a curious face. There was a slight pause in his step before he moved on. 

"Yes, that's my name." Mitsuki blinked at the short answer, but nonetheless stayed silent during the whole trip in Log's arms. 

"Orochimaru." Mitsuki heard Log call out when he turned into another room. 

"So he's awake." A foreign voice to Mitsuki. Turning his head to the side, Mitsuki saw an adult sitting on his knees on the huge cushion surrounded by a humongous white snake. Mitsuki wasn't sure if they were a she or a he, so for the time being, Mitsuki would refer- 

"He is Orochimaru. Our parent." Log distrupted Mitsuki's train of thought. Yep. Mitsuki would refer to the adult as his parent. 

"Parent?" Mitsuki repeated the word as Log set him down on his two feet. Mitsuki watched as his parent walked down the steps slowly, golden eye slits glowing in the dim room. 

"Yes, my child. You are one of us now." 

……… 

"Mitsuki? What are you doing here?" Karin was heading to her room when she popped her head into one of the labs that stored the unborn snakes. 

"Karin, what are these?" The young child was looking at the drawers from the tall cupboard. He gently pulled one that is accessible from his height. 

"Be careful!" Karin barely reached in time to pull the boy away from the drawer when a white snake jumped at him, with its fangs bared. 

"Don't touch them casually. This is the incubation room for the snakes. The mother snakes are especially protective during this incubation period." Karin explained, safely coaxing the snake back into the drawer and closed it securely. 

"Incubation?" Mitsuki tilted his head at the word. 

"The mother snakes are heating up the eggs so that they would hatch faster." Karin chuckled before explaining, bending down to carry Mitsuki up, placing him on her hip. 

"Ohh. But why is it white? Are snakes usually white?" Mitsuki asked curiously, hugging Karin's neck with his short arms. 

"No. That snake is an albino. So her whole body is white. They usually don't live for long, but under Orochimaru-sama's modification, these albino snakes have a much longer lifespan than normal wild ones." Karin went around the room, showing Mitsuki the snakes that were less dangerous and not in the incubation period. 

"I saw Log playing with some snakes the other day. Do I get to play with them too?" Mitsuki asked, recalling the day when he saw Log wrestling with a giant brown python 2x bigger than himself to the ground, thinking that they were playing. 

"I have a feeling Orochimaru-sama is going to expose you to the usage of snakes. So I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to start earlier. You can play with the baby snakes once they are hatched." Karin tapped her chin for a moment before nodding. 

"Really? Great! Now I can play like Log too!" Mitsuki's smile made Karin mirror it. 

"Log's got a big influence on you, eh?" 

……… 

"Ne, Suigetsu. What are you doing?" 

Suigetsu turned his head lazily just to meet innocent golden orbs staring back at him. 

"Will you play with me?" Mitsuki asked as he held up a kunai, a gift from Orochimaru. 

"Where's Karin?" Suigetsu asked flatly, not impressed at a mere child holding a kunai. 

"She was sent out on a mission." Mitsuki replied. 

"What about Jugo?" Suigetsu asked again, hand supporting his chin. 

"Jugo asked me not to bother him for the next few days." Mitsuki replied instantly. 

"Must be something about his nature energy again..." Suigetsu muttered under his breath. When he turned his attention back to the child, Mitsuki was still patiently waiting for Suigetsu to reply him. 

"And Log? I'm sure he would rather die than reject spending time with you." Suigetsu asked one last time. 

"Log is busy, he said." Mitsuki frowned at the mention of the older man. 

"So I have to babysit you?" Suigetsu buried his face in his hands as he sighs in exasperation. On the other hand, Mitsuki seemed oblivious at Suigetsu's attitude and continued to smile innocently. 

"Fine. Give me 10 minutes while I finish up this analysis report. Or else Orochimaru-sama will kill me!" Suigetsu said before his fingers fly across the keyboard, typing as fast as he could. 

"Okay. I'll wait here." Mitsuki's smile inched a little higher as he climbed up onto an empty patient bed and sat cross legged, rocking himself back and forth with the kunai on his lap. 

Contrary to what Suigetsu promised, the man only took 5 minutes. 

"Uwah! I'm done!" Suigetsu stretched out his limbs and grabbed his waterbottle on the table, sipping on it contentedly. 

"Can we play now?" Suigetsu almost forgot the reason he completed the report in record time was because of Mitsuki. 

"Oh right, yes. What do you want to play?" Suigetsu was in a good mood. 

"Kunai!" Without warning, Mitsuki pounced at the man with the kunai, moving in ways that a 5 year old can't. Suigetsu, as a battle hardened shinobi that has gone through the Fourth Great Ninja War, defended the blow with an arm, which melted into water upon contact. 

"This is what you mean by playing? Why am I not surprised considering you're Orochimaru-sama's child." Suigetsu broke off his 'chopped off' hand and liquefied it, forming a water puddle on the floor. 

"My parent said it is the best form of playing." Mitsuki's eyes twinkled as his short legs propelled him for another blow. 

"Seems like you only learned taijutsu." Suigetsu noted as the child did not dish out any jutsus. 

"Taijutsu?" Mitsuki repeated, tilting his head as he aimed for Suigetsu's head but failed when the man dodged and kept a safe distance from the boy. 

"Yeah, this." Suigetsu smirked as he shunshinned behind Mitsuki. 

"Hn?" Mitsuki was about to jump away when he realised he couldn't move his leg. Looking down, he saw the water puddle had shifted into the shape of a hand and had locked his ankle in a death grip. 

"Don't move." Suigetsu's free hand folded into the shape of a gun and pointed it against Mitsuki's small skull. 

"You are good, Suigetsu." Mitsuki praised calmly, as if the man behind him couldn't just headshot him before he would knew it. 

"Of course, snakelet." Suigetsu changed his pistol back to his fist and bumped the child's head gently. 

"You know what that means?" Mitsuki felt the grip on his ankle disappear and jumped around to face Suigetsu. 

"What." Suigetsu had a very bad feeling as Mitsuki gave him a bright smile. 

"We're going to play together often." 

……… 

A week passed with Mitsuki harassing Suigetsu to play with him when the others weren't free. Until one day, Jugo came back and found a slightly taller Mitsuki sparring with Suigetsu. 

"JUGO! YES! COME HERE!" Suigetsu parried off Mitsuki's blow slightly harder than usual and pushed him back. The white head ran and hid behind Jugo. 

"Jugo!" Mitsuki saw the taller man and stopped his assault, standing back straight and walking towards the two older man with a gentle smile on his face. 

"Mitsuki. What are you guys doing?" Jugo asked, raising his eyebrow in amusement. 

"This child has been harassing me for a fight for the whole week!" Suigetsu complained and stepped out behind Jugo. 

"We were having a lot of fun playing." Mitsuki said with a small smile. 

"That's his form of playing." Suigetsu eye rolled. 

"Take a break, Mitsuki. Follow me." Jugo crouched down and offered Mitsuki his shoulders. 

"Okay." Mitsuki's eyes lit up as he gingerly climbed onto Jugo's shoulders and hugged his head for support. 

"Thanks, Jugo." Suigetsu sighed dramatically and ushered them out of the laboratory in case Mitsuki changed his mind. That child can be unpredictable at times. 

"Where are we going, Jugo?" Mitsuki asked as Jugo continued down the corridor until they exited the hideout. 

"Somewhere peaceful." Jugo merely said as he was approached by Yamato. 

"Where are you going?" The wood user asked the mandatory question every time someone leaves the hideout. 

"Out on a stroll." Jugo eyed Mitsuki wrapped around his head as a message to Yamato. 

"I'll have Orochimaru explain." Yamato nodded his head at Jugo and then at Mitsuki. Jugo nodded his thanks and left for the forest. 

"Who was that?" Mitsuki asked. This was actually Mitsuki's first time outside the hideout and it made the test tube born child curious. 

"Gatekeeper. Don't mind him." Jugo dismissed casually. As he walked deeper into the forest, the birds came to greet him. 

"Do you know what this is, Mitsuki?" Jugo held up his finger and showed Mitsuki a bird with bright royal blue feathers perched on it. 

"Hmm... A bird?" Even though this was the first time Mitsuki saw a bird, he somehow knew it from his brain dictionary. 

"Yes, there are many types of birds in the world. This is a Bluebird. It is named as such because of the colours of its feathers." Jugo explained, touching the bluebird's head with a single finger as the bird chirped pleasantly. 

"Wow." Mitsuki marveled as he watched the bird chirping on Jugo's finger. 

"Do you want to know more about it?" Jugo asked, lifting his finger further up so that the bird could hop onto his crop of orange hair. The Bluebird nestled itself between the strands with Mitsuki staring at it from a close distance. 

"Yes." Mitsuki nodded even though Jugo couldn't see it. 

"Do you want to touch it?" Jugo asked again when he felt Mitsuki's hand lifting. 

"Can I?" Mitsuki asked politely. 

"Stroke down its head to the tail. Don't touch their belly. They don't like it." Jugo said gently, patting a deer which had came closer upon feeling the presence of Jugo. 

Mitsuki did as he was told, using two fingers to stroke the Bluebird until the feathery animal ruffled its feathers uncomfortably. 

"When a bird grows up, it leaves its nest to create one of its own." Jugo suddenly piped up. 

"It's similar to one of humans. We leave our home when we grow up too." Jugo continued, reaching out a hand to the butterflies as they came fluttering around him. Some had even flew up and tickled Mitsuki's nose, making him giggle and sneeze. 

"Will I leave home too when I am older?" Mitsuki asked innocently. 

"It depends on you, Mitsuki. It's your choice and no one else's." Jugo smiled kindly at one of the cranes that were perched on the rocks in the middle of the lake. 

"Did you leave, Jugo?" Mitsuki asked, settling on watching the Bluebird instead of fluffing it up. 

"Yes." Jugo nodded, bobbing Mitsuki a little. 

"What about Suigetsu and Karin?" Mitsuki asked again, just like a curious child he is. 

"They did too, but Karin had no choice." Jugo whispered the last part of the sentence. 

"And Log?" Mitsuki grabbed fistfuls of Jugo's hair as he leant to the side, trying to grab attention from Jugo. 

"Mitsuki, did you know that Bluebirds have two broods in a season?" Jugo chuckled before asking, not answering Mitsuki's question directly. 

"Nope." Mitsuki shook his head. 

"When the Bluebirds have the second brood, there would be a young bluebird from the first brood who would stay behind to take care of the baby birds." Jugo explained walking towards the lake and sat down on the riverbank. 

"Really? They're so considerate." Mitsuki commented. 

"Yes. They remind me of the both of you, Log and Mitsuki." Jugo laughed lightly. 

"How so?" Mitsuki tilted his head in confusion. 

"Log is an older version of you, Mitsuki. Just like the Bluebird of the first brood, Log is willing to stay behind the nest and take care of you instead of flying in the free sky." Jugo explained, skipping a stone casually into the lake waters. 

"He is?" Mitsuki sucked in a breath lightly. 

"Yep. One day, Mitsuki. One day, there will be a time where the both of you will fly freely in the skies beside each other." 

……… 

"Log!" Mitsuki ran on his short legs as soon as he saw the older copy of himself in the corridor. 

"Mitsuki!" Log was surprised at the toddler's enthusiasm as he jumped into his arms and Log raised him up to his eye level. 

"Where have you been?" Log couldn't help but smile at his little brother. 

"With Orochimaru. Look!" Mitsuki held out one of his arm and furrowed his brows, concentrating his chakra. Even though it was only a few seconds, Mitsuki's arm had stretched and bent into a snake-like form before contracting back. 

"You learnt Soft Physique Modification already?" Log gasped at the ninjutsu the child had just performed. By human age, Mitsuki should be approaching 6 years. 

"Yep. Orochimaru taught me. Although I could not sustain it long enough yet." Mitsuki nodded, a small smile on his face. 

Log continued his walk as they chattered along the way. 

"That's pretty fast for a child like you." Log praised, ruffling Mitsuki's hair with his other free hand. 

"A child like me? What about the other children? What are they like?" Mitsuki asked curiously. In the hideout, Mitsuki never saw anyone close to his age and size. All that he saw were Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo, Log, and Orochimaru. There were a few other people that he had seen but often avoided talking to him. 

"Do you want to meet children of the same age?" Log asked, an idea popping inside his brain as he changed his destination. 

"Can I?" Mitsuki blinked. 

"Of course, Mitsuki. Whatever you want, I will get it for you." Log smiled softly at his little brother as he stepped into the room where a certain red head was in. 

"Log? Mitsuki?"


	2. C02

"Where are we going, Karin?" 

Karin and Mitsuki wore a traveling cloak around them as they travelled through the woods, towards the lively village only a couple of meters left from where they were. 

"To visit my friend, and also for you to make some." Karin said, holding onto the child's hand as they approached the village's gate. 

"Oiiii! Karin!!" There was a vague call from the gates as Karin could make out a pink haired woman waving enthusiastically at her. Beside her, there was a child of Mitsuki's age, wearing glasses and looking daunting with her arms crossed at her chest. Karin smiled. That was the child she had helped to receive at birth. 

"That's my friend, Sakura. And that's her daughter. Be nice, okay?" Karin said, waving back to Sakura. 

"Karin, is that the little one you said you will be bringing over?" Sakura asked as she looked over Mitsuki. The boy kept a polite smile on his face as he greeted Sakura. 

"Nice to meet you. My name is Mitsuki." Mitsuki bowed a few inches and offered a hand to Sakura. 

"My, what a polite child. Nice to meet you too, Mitsuki. My name is Sakura. This is Sarada, my daughter. Come on, Sarada. Say hello." Sakura shook Mitsuki's tiny hand and nudged her daughter. 

"Hello." Sarada nodded in greeting and Mitsuki smiled back politely. 

"I'm sorry, Sarada takes after her father." Sakura frowned and apologized. 

"No worries. I understand. Sarada-chan just needs time to warm up, right?" Karin directed a warm smile at the young Uchiha. 

"Yes!" Sarada returned the smile and nodded. 

As Sakura led Karin and Mitsuki into Konohagakure, Mitsuki couldn't help but be curious at everything he sees around him. Flower shops, food stalls, and even the toys that he uses to play with Suigetsu. 

"Hey, where are you from?" Sarada nudged the boy as they walked behind the adults. The adults weren't afraid of losing them, when Karin was one of the best sensors around. 

"Me? I'm from my home." Mitsuki answered. 

"Home? Where's your home?" Sarada tilted her head in confusion. That wasn't an answer someone would give. 

"It's... Home is where home is supposed to be." Mitsuki said unsurely. Now that he thought about it, there isn't a name to his home. 

"Huh?? You're weird." Sarada gave him a weird look before chuckling. 

"Where's yours?" Mitsuki asked, blinking. 

"Mine? Here, in Konohagakure." Sarada announced, gesturing to every corner and direction of the village. 

"This is your home? It's big." Mitsuki gasped lightly, taking in the village slowly with his golden orbs, amazed at how huge Sarada's home is. 

"Yeah! And Nanadaime's protecting it!" Sarada pointed to the left, where the stone wall of the Hokage faces were carved at. 

"Nanadaime?" Mitsuki blinked again, taking in all the information Sarada was saying. 

"Yep! Nanadaime is the most powerful person on earth! And he protects our home! Does anyone protect your home, Mitsuki?" Sarada asks and Mitsuki stills. 

"Protect...?" 

……… 

After a 5 minute walk, Mitsuki and Karin finally arrived at the Uchiha's household. 

"Sarada, bring Mitsuki up to play. I'll prepare dinner." Sakura ordered as she nudged her daughter. 

"I'll help you Sakura. The children can play on their own." Karin offered and Sakura nodded, leading the woman into their kitchen, leaving Sarada and Mitsuki alone in the living room. 

"Come on, I'll show you my room." Sarada gestured towards the stairs and climbed with little effort. She was an Uchiha after all. 

Mitsuki followed closely behind Sarada as he looked at the humble house of the only Uchihas left. There were the Uchiwa fan symbol littered around the house as well as the family pictures. In all of the pictures, Mitsuki found the man inside familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint where he had seen him before. 

"What games do you like to play, Mitsuki? I don't really have boy games like what that dumb Boruto has." Sarada muttered under her breath, but was loud enough for Mitsuki to hear. 

"Me? I like playing kunai." Mitsuki answered truthfully. 

"Kunai? Like the toy ones they sell on the streets? Pff." Sarada almost scoffed at the mental image of Mitsuki fiddling with a plastic imitation of the steel hard weapon. 

"I brought it with me. Maybe we can play together." Mitsuki suggested, reaching into his kimono sleeves and pulled out expectedly, a real kunai. 

"How do you play with a plastic kunai though?" Sarada was still backfacing the boy as she led the way to her room, pushing open the door with more effort and stumbling, saving her ass from having a real kunai planted into her brain. 

"Like this." Mitsuki had flung the kunai directly at Sarada, expecting her to dodge like how Suigetsu does. 

"......" Sarada heard the dull thud and realised a real kunai was just thrown at her head. If it was not for her stumble, the kunai would have killed her instead of lodging itself onto her wooden door. At the image of having a kunai stuck into her skull, Sarada did what a 5 year old would. 

"Sarada?! What happened?!" Sakura rushed up the stairs as soon as she heard Sarada wailing in fear. 

"Mitsuki! What did you do?" Karin followed close after, kneeling down to Mitsuki's level. 

"Nothing. I just offered to play Kunai with her." Mitsuki answered innocently, confused as to why Sarada was crying. 

"......" Karin was speechless. Her eyes followed Mitsuki's finger and saw the kunai lodged onto the wooden door. 

"What do you mean play Kunai?" Sakura hugged her daughter in her arms and questioned. 

"Sorry, Sakura. I forgot Mitsuki has a different concept for playing. It's not very appropriate for his age, I know." Karin apologized as she sighed at Mitsuki's answer. She knew it wasn't his fault. That's the environment he grew up in, Orochimaru teaching him all the wrong concepts of being a child. 

"Why is she crying, Karin? Does she not like to play Kunai? We can play with Shiro. I brought her along." Mitsuki furrowed his brows as Sarada couldn't stop crying. 

"You brought Shiro along?! Wait, that's not the point. You don't get Shiro to play with anyone else, get it?" Karin raised her finger and warned. 

"But Shiro is distressed. She can sense someone's discomfort. She's out." Karin flinched at the last sentence. 

"Karin, there's a white snake here." Sakura had sensed the snake approach and grabbed it before it could reach Sarada. 

"My apologies. Shiro, come back." Karin ordered before the snake came slithering back into Mitsuki's sleeve. 

"Sarada-chan, Sarada-chan." Karin called out from beside Mitsuki. 

"Yes, Karin-san?" Sarada's wails has withered into sobs as she raised her head to look at the red head. 

"Mitsuki means no harm. He just wants to share his joy with you. Although his form of joy comes from quite a different source." Karin explained. 

"Mitsuki, apologize." Karin nudged the boy. 

"Sorry, Sarada, if I had hurt you in any way. It is not my intention." Mitsuki bowed sincerely even though he was clueless. 

"It's okay, Mitsuki. I was just shocked, that's all." Sarada shook her head and got out of Sakura's arms. 

"That's good. Now play in peace okay? Mitsuki, follow Sarada and please do not suggest any of the games you have in mind." Karin placed a hand on the child's head and ruffled his hair indulgently. 

"Okay." Mitsuki nodded obediently and followed Sarada into her room. 

"Karin, who actually is Mitsuki? You sound like you adore him." Sakura asked as she left her daughter alone again. Karin went to pluck out the kunai and kept it in her backpocket. The red head giggled at Sakura's question. 

"He's just a cinnamon roll in our hideout." 

……… 

After dinner, Karin and Mitsuki had to leave. 

"Thank you for the dinner, Sakura. It was delicious." Karin thanked the pink head along with Mitsuki bowing at the side. 

"No problem. Mitsuki is a great child. You can bring him over to play with Sarada any time." Sakura stepped forward to ruffle Mitsuki's hair. It was soft and fluffy. 

"Thank you, Sakura-san." Mitsuki smiled politely. 

"Sarada-chan, the next time I see you, I want to see you grow taller!" Karin grinned at the raven. 

"Yes! Karin-san!" Sarada nodded with zest. 

With a few waves, Karin and Mitsuki were on the way back to the hideout. 

"Karin, this is Konohagakure?" Mitsuki pulled at Karin's sleeve. 

"Yeah." Karin nodded. 

"This is Sarada's home." Mitsuki repeated what Sarada had told him in the afternoon. 

"Yes, it is." Karin nodded again and blinked, not knowing where this was leading. 

"Where's mine?" Mitsuki's question made Karin paused in her step. They were half way through the outskirts of Konoha. 

"The hide-" Karin was about to say the hideout but stopped herself at the last second. 

"Mitsuki." Karin squat down to Mitsuki's eye level with a hand tangled in the boy's hair.

"The home's where the heart is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw I'm an anime only, but kind of know what's going on in the manga but doesn't read it. And I really love the current Team 7 dynamic with Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki <3


	3. C03

After the visit to Konoha, Mitsuki was much more curious about the outside world. And he wants to go out. 

"Can I?" Mitsuki approached Orochimaru one day, asking for permission. 

"Of course. It's always good to be exploring the outside world." Orochimaru had said with a neutral smile as he stood facing a row of test tubes. 

"Have you been practicing?" Orochimaru asked, turning to Mitsuki fully. 

"Yes. I got Suigetsu to practice with me." Mitsuki nodded. 

"Then you're free to go." Orochimaru gave his permission. 

"I'll be back." Mitsuki said before leaving the room. 

"Mitsuki? Where are you going?" Log bumped into his younger clone in the corridor. 

"Out. I received permission from Orochimaru." Mitsuki smiled and answered. 

"By yourself?" Log asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Yes." Mitsuki nodded and walked past Log. 

The older clone quickly walked to Orochimaru's lab. 

"You're allowing Mitsuki to go free outside? It's dangerous." Log questioned calmly, and Orochimaru replied with the same demeanor. 

"Of course I wouldn't let him go alone." 

……… 

Mitsuki, clad in a simple blue kimono, walked out of the hideout. For some reason, Yamato did not stop the child. 

Venturing outside the hideout was new to the boy. He was as new to the world as much as a newborn baby bird. 

Mitsuki walked into the forest, smiling and greeting the birds that he had seen when he came out with Jugo. An adult deer approached him as Mitsuki carassed its magnificent horn. The deer even allowed Mitsuki to climb on and gave him a ride. 

The deer trotted around the area, bringing Mitsuki around as the boy witnessed the changing of the landscape. As Mitsuki ventured further and further away, he found his surroundings to be quite familiar. And then he realised, he was in the forest of Konohagakure! 

Mitsuki's deer stopped when it heard a few sounds that seemed like deer neighs. Soon, a few adult deers stepped out of the trees and Mitsuki stared back at them. 

"Wahhhh! Nii-chan! Nii-chan! Where are you?!" Mitsuki blinked when he heard incoherent wails from afar. He waited for a few moments before a toddler stumbled out of the bushes, looking quite ruffled up. 

"Nii-? Who?" The little girl with bright blond hair and sky blue eyes stared back at Mitsuki. 

Mitsuki hopped off the deer and walked slowly towards the toddler. 

"Why are you crying?" Mitsuki had no idea why the little girl was crying. 

"I'm lost. Nii-chan lost me." The little girl answered, sobbing. 

"You're lost? You don't know the way back?" Mitsuki tilted his head. 

"I don't know. Ewerywhere looks the swame." The toddler jumbled up her words. 

"Then-" Mitsuki was interrupted by the rustling of the bushes. 

"Ish that Onii-chan?" The little girl wiped away her tears bravely before toddling up to the bush. But Mitsuki sensed something as amiss. 

"Wait, no." Mitsuki propelled himself forward like how he always pounced on Suigetsu. Pushing the little girl aside, the hand that was supposed to grab the toddler landed on him instead. 

"Tch! You grabbed the wrong one!" Dangled by the neck, Mitsuki was held up by a large hand. 

"Dwon't hurt him!" The toddler sobbed helplessly at the side. 

"Don't worry, you're the one we're looking for, Uzumaki princess. We'll just-" Before the bandit could finish his sentence, Mitsuki had pulled a kunai from his sleeve, elongated his arm with the Soft Physique Modification jutsu and stabbed the man from the side, releasing his hold on the boy. 

"Ow! That hurts! You know ninjutsu?" The bandit gasped upon seeing and feeling his own blood. It was rare for a child of his age to know ninjutsu, and even how to wield a kunai. 

Mitsuki leapt back and braced himself with a kunai. In his eyes, it was just another practice session just like with Suigetsu. 

"We did not sign up for this! But he's just a child! We don't lose to a random child! He's not even an Academy student!" The bandit's partner screeched indignantly. With that, the bandits charged at Mitsuki. With a little training with Suigetsu and Orochimaru, Mitsuki managed to hold off his own and even scratched one of them on the arm with his kunai. But he was quickly worn off as an in-training ninja. With a couple of hits, Mitsuki was beaten flat on the ground, the bandits towering over him. 

"Himawari! Hima! Where are you? Where- Ah! There you are!" Before the bandits could speak, a blond boy of Mitsuki's age walked into the fight. 

"Onii-chan! Help! He's going to get beaten!" Himawari wailed, waving her short hands for her brother's attention. 

Mitsuki, having beaten to the ground, turned to the owner of the voice. His eyes were blurry but the striking golden hair and blue eyes were hard to miss. 

"Ah ha! Another Uzumaki! We striked the jackpot!" The bandits screeched in glee. 

"W-What? What's happening?" The blond boy stumbled backwards upon seeing Mitsuki almost getting killed. 

"Let's finish him off first." One of the bandits cackled, looking down at Mitsuki. 

"Sorry child, you interfered with our plans." The other bandit nodded and raised his kunai. 

"NO-" Himawari and the boy screamed, but was cut off with a loud screech from the ground below. There was a loud crack and rumble, like a mini earthquake. 

"W-What? Something's coming!" The bandit stumbled at the earthquake. 

"SHAAAA!" The ground nearby broke apart as a large brown snake emerged, baring its fangs at the bandits. 

"WHAT IS THAT?!" The bandits screamed but was quickly silenced when the snake charged down at them in breakneck speed, chomping their bodies whole. 

"It's him..." Mitsuki sat up and looked at the snake. He recognized it as one of Orochimaru's snakes lounging around his parent's room. 

When the screams had died down and the snake slithered back to Mitsuki's side, the reptile looked down at the boy calmly. 

"A-Ah no-" Before Himawari could snap out of her fear and call out for Mitsuki, the boy had nodded at the snake and in front of Himawari and her brother's eyes, the snake swallowed Mitsuki whole and dove back into the ground. 

"O-Onii-chan, d-did he just g-get eaten...?" 

……… 

When Mitsuki woke up again, all he could hear were Karin and Suigetsu arguing. 

"Why did Orochimaru-sama let Mitsuki go out alone?! He's only 5!" Karin complained loudly, screaming at an innocent Suigetsu. 

"How should I know?! And he's turning 6 by the way. You should ask Log!!" Suigetsu took a step back from the rampaging woman, pointing fingers at Log. 

"Log! Explain!" Karin snapped at the older clone. 

"Mitsuki was given permission by Orochimaru. Our snakes are also following closely. There won't be any serious problems." Log explained calmly. 

"Look at Mitsuki now! He's all hurt!" Karin pointed at Mitsuki without noticing that he was awake. 

"It's an experience, Karin. Mitsuki will be fine." Orochimaru stepped into the room as everyone quietened down immediately. 

"Orochimaru-sama." Jugo, who was silent at the side, greeted. 

"How are you feeling, Mitsuki?" Orochimaru approached the now conscious boy and asked. 

"Not bad. A lot better." Mitsuki tried closing his fingers and moving his arms before answering. 

"It'll be better faster if you bite my arm." Karin offered her arm and stuck it under Mitsuki's nose. Not knowing what to do, Mitsuki turned to the rest of the adults for help. 

"Karin, Mitsuki is fine. You already healed him when he was unconscious." Suigetsu pulled the woman aside as she throwed punches at the poor man. 

"Mitsuki, what happened?" Log stepped forward to ask. 

"Some bandits wanted to harm a little girl. I fought them, but I lost." Mitsuki recollected, not at all affected by what had happened. 

"That was brave of you, Mitsuki, trying to help someone." Log ruffled Mitsuki's hair. 

"I fought them like how I did with Suigetsu, are they that much stronger?" Mitsuki tilted his head and asked. 

"Hey! Are you underestimating me?! I was going easy on you, you snakelet! I could punch you to Kirigakure if I wanted to-" Suigetsu shot back indignantly until Karin landed a punch on his head, dissipating into water before forming back again. 

"Shut up, Suigetsu." Orochimaru warned, glaring at Suigetsu as if daring him to punch Mitsuki to Kiri. 

"Mitsuki, where did you go?" Jugo asked, since he was the first one that brought Mitsuki out. 

"The deer gave me a ride to the forest of Konoha." 

"Konoha?!"


End file.
